There are billions of mobile phones all communicating with each other sending wireless signals across the globe. How does each signal know where to go exactly, and how are they not intercepted by other signals?
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Radio signals from a mobile phone are broadcast in a sphere more or less in all directions. But the signal will only be handled by a designated cell tower, based on which one has the strongest reception. Encryption is usually used so that other devices can’t intercept the transmission. Once it reaches the tower it no longer needs to use radio waves, usually cables (copper or fibre optic) are used to transmit the call data to the destination (sometimes satellites may be used, which will be another radio signal).
At the receiving end, the cell tower nearest to the receiver will get the transmission via cable, and transmit the call to the phone via radio.
The telecommunications network knows which cell tower is closest to the phone because phones are constantly pinging nearby cell towers with their unique device identifier (IMEI) which is tracked by the network. The phone number you dial is matched to an IMEI, so the call can be transmitted to the nearest cell tower based on the last ping.
First of all, signals dont continue endlessly, every inch it travels, it leeches energy into the environment. So say a cell tower can only reach maybe a kilometer before the signals get too weak to be interpreted. Kinda like how a shout is only audible at a certain distance.
Second, signals dont know where to go. They are actually just broadcasted meaning every phone can actually receive the data meant for you, this is basically how wireless wiretaps work but of course much more complicated due to the existence of encryption.
Lastly, interception actually happens if they use different frequencies, thats why the old technology like am/fm radios have specific radio frequencies assigned to them so that they dont mess up each other’s signals.
Radio signals from a mobile phone are broadcast in a sphere more or less in all directions. But the signal will only be handled by a designated cell tower, based on which one has the strongest reception. Encryption is usually used so that other devices can’t intercept the transmission. Once it reaches the tower it no longer needs to use radio waves, usually cables (copper or fibre optic) are used to transmit the call data to the destination (sometimes satellites may be used, which will be another radio signal).
At the receiving end, the cell tower nearest to the receiver will get the transmission via cable, and transmit the call to the phone via radio.
The telecommunications network knows which cell tower is closest to the phone because phones are constantly pinging nearby cell towers with their unique device identifier (IMEI) which is tracked by the network. The phone number you dial is matched to an IMEI, so the call can be transmitted to the nearest cell tower based on the last ping.
First of all, signals dont continue endlessly, every inch it travels, it leeches energy into the environment. So say a cell tower can only reach maybe a kilometer before the signals get too weak to be interpreted. Kinda like how a shout is only audible at a certain distance.
Second, signals dont know where to go. They are actually just broadcasted meaning every phone can actually receive the data meant for you, this is basically how wireless wiretaps work but of course much more complicated due to the existence of encryption.
Lastly, interception actually happens if they use different frequencies, thats why the old technology like am/fm radios have specific radio frequencies assigned to them so that they dont mess up each other’s signals.
Your mobile phone has an identifier that’s used to track which tower it’s connected to. So when someone calls you, your cell network says “OK, 555-1234 is connected to tower 123456789, so I’ll tell that tower to send a message to 555-1234 telling it to ring.”
Your mobile phone has an identifier that’s used to track which tower it’s connected to. So when someone calls you, your cell network says “OK, 555-1234 is connected to tower 123456789, so I’ll tell that tower to send a message to 555-1234 telling it to ring.”
Wireless signals go in all directions. It’s just a matter of having hardware somewhere within range that can decode that signal.
How does the sun know to light up the Earth? It doesn’t, it just shines out, and the Earth gets in the way.
How can someone hear you when you talk? Your voice radiates out in all directions, and their ears pick up the pressure waves, and their brain decodes those waves into sounds and words to get meaning.
Wireless signals go in all directions. It’s just a matter of having hardware somewhere within range that can decode that signal.
How does the sun know to light up the Earth? It doesn’t, it just shines out, and the Earth gets in the way.
How can someone hear you when you talk? Your voice radiates out in all directions, and their ears pick up the pressure waves, and their brain decodes those waves into sounds and words to get meaning.
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